Land tax rip-off: $3,000 Katamatite block valued at $51,000 by Labor

The Nationals' Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, has slammed the Allan Labor Government’s land tax hike, labelling it as a cruel and unjustified cash grab that’s hitting regional Victorians hard.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr McCurdy raised the case of a Katamatite local who was shocked to discover that the Allan Labor Government had valued a small, landlocked block behind her property on the Tocumwal–Benalla Road at $60,000 for land tax purposes, despite purchasing it for just $3,000.

“This block is essentially useless to anyone else. It can’t be built on or accessed as a standalone property. Yet Labor slapped a $60,000 valuation on it, and even after being challenged, only revised it down to $51,000; just enough to remain above the land tax threshold,” Mr McCurdy said.

“The Allan Labor Government is inventing figures out of thin air to squeeze more money out of hardworking Victorians.”

Mr McCurdy said it was yet another example of how the government’s land tax hikes are disproportionately punishing regional landholders, many of whom are already doing it tough.

“If the Treasurer is so confident in the government’s inflated valuation, the owner is more than happy to sell her the block for $50,000.”

"These inflated land valuations show just how desperate Labor is to prop up its broken budget on the backs of regional landowners."

Labor can't manage money, and regional Victorians are paying the price.